What exactly do we get from the captain?

So never quite figured this out...

Does the caption just have the option for the team meeting when the team is suffering or is there something else to them? Like does a captain with a high influence actually offer up anything on the pitch or is it pretty much meaningless during a match?

I don't think anyone outside SI knows this for sure, but my theory is that the captain's personality is projected onto the other players in the squad to the effect of the influence-attribute. There's also other factors that play in, like personal relationships between the captain and his players. It's also likely (to me at least) that the in-game motivational factors (complacency, nervousness and whatever others there may be) are projected as well.

So the most important things for me in a captain are the following:

How is his determination, work rate, and teamwork? These are easy to spot, of course.

Beyond that, how is his personality described? If it says model pro, that's better than someone who's unsportsmanlike.

And, if you can find out, is he good in big games? Is he consistent? Because this affects motivation, or at least performance.

Lastly, how is his influence attribute? The higher, the more does he actually affect the other players. I also assume some players might not like having a player with really low influence as their captain.

I also assume some players might not like having a player with really low influence as their captain.

This I know for sure... current team I appointed a player with a 17 influence the first season (oddly he wasn't already captain) and half the team said they love that move. But the reason I bring it up, that guy (now an 18 inf) has nothing notable anywhere else. He's a fair rotational player, but since my team got promoted he's sort of a liability. But I know it's going to have a bad effect on the team if I sell him or even make someone else captain.

So I've been doing the old risk/reward deal. Is it better to take the backlash from dropping him or is a high inf semi-average player still good for the time. Keeping in mind I think my next best inf on the team is 12.

But since doesn't really know the entire impact a captain has... who knows.

I think the 'Captain' is responsible for choosing set-piece takers (if not specified) among other things...

You will notice that if the captain has a high 'dirtiness' rating, the whole team will pick up more cards. Therefore, you can deduce that the whole team will be affected by the captain's determination, workrate, teamwork and other such mental aspects.

I chose a player with the highest influence to be captain, but he frequently got complacent, and it definitely affected the team's performance, so I had to drop him.

I always had the suspicion that my team is playing badly if my captain is having a quiet game.

I've never put much stock in captains besides just going for highest influence, teamwork & determination across the board. Although that said I've only been playing as Stoke on FM11 and Ryan Shawcross has only ever been my captain. On the rare occassion he doesn't play I can't remember all that much whether my team have done well or not. He's the kind of player that only misses 1/2 games a season.

Interesting what people are saying about determination...

Because in my situation my captain has the 18 inf but a mighty 10 determination, and the team as a whole has one of the lowest determinations in the league.... but the interesting part is 4-5 of my players usually get more motivated when we concede. I would think my teem to get a negative motivation when going down with the low determination, but it's usually the opposite or just no change to motivation, just see that as strange especially if the captain does impart his 'personality' onto the team as well.

Interesting what people are saying about determination...

Because in my situation my captain has the 18 inf but a mighty 10 determination, and the team as a whole has one of the lowest determinations in the league.... but the interesting part is 4-5 of my players usually get more motivated when we concede. I would think my teem to get a negative motivation when going down with the low determination, but it's usually the opposite or just no change to motivation, just see that as strange especially if the captain does impart his 'personality' onto the team as well.

What's his personality?

I've always noticed that just as the match starts on the team motivation option my captain is always 'playing with confidence' before anyone else. Maybe he likes the responsibility? Anyone else noticed this?